Specifications

GENERAL DATA
Crew (operating)		2
Weight	Net	5,250 lbs
	Payload	1,500 lbs
Length	166 7/8	inches
Width	82 3/4	inches
Height	81 7/8	inches
Engine	Dodge	T-124
Horsepower	92 hp	69 kW
Transmission	4 speed	1 range
Suspension	Live beam	Leaf Springs
Fuel Capacity	30	US Gallons
Operational Range	240 miles	3687 km
Maximum Speed	55 mph	89 km/h

History

The Dodge WC series, nicknamed "Beeps", and at first (from 1940–1942), nicknamed jeeps,is a prolific range of light 4WD and medium 6WD military utility trucks, produced by Chrysler under the Dodge and Fargo marques during World War II. Together with the later 1⁄4‑ton jeeps produced by Willys and Ford, the Dodge 1⁄2‑ton G-505 and 3⁄4‑ton G-502 trucks made up nearly all of the light 4WD trucks supplied to the U.S. military in WW II – with Dodge contributing some 337,500 4WD units (over half as many as the 1⁄4‑ton jeeps).

Contrary to the versatility of the highly standardized 1⁄4‑ton jeeps, which was mostly achieved through field modification, the Dodge WC‑series came in many different, purpose-built, but mechanically uniform variants from the factory, much akin to the later family of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. The WC series evolved out of, and was part of a more extended family of trucks, with great mechanical parts commonality, that included open- and closed-cab cargo, troops and weapons carriers, (radio) command, and reconnaissance cars, ambulances, carry-alls, panel vans, and mobile telephone installation and (emergency) field workshop trucks.

Throughout the war, Dodge was the U.S. Army's sole producer of 3⁄4‑ton trucks, and built a total of 255,193 of these, across all variants, from April 1942 to August 1945. Standard vehicles in the 3⁄4‑ton 4x4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, WC-56 /-57 /-58 (Radio) Command Reconnaissance, WC-53 Carry‑all, and the WC-54 Ambulance. In the mass-produced cargo/troop and command trucks, the WC-52 and WC-57 are identical to the WC-51 and WC-56, but have a longer frame, extending further forward to the protruding front bumper with front-mounted winch.

After the U.S. Army reorganized from using eight-troop rifle squads to twelve-men squads, a whole squad could no longer be carried as a unit in a single 3⁄4‑ton, 4x4, WC-51 or WC-52 truck. At the direction of Major General Courtney Hodges, Chief of Infantry, these G-502 troop- and weapons-carriers were therefore stretched in 1943, with an additional driven rear axle, to derive a 48 in (1.22 m) longer 6-wheel drive, 11⁄2‑ton trucks.